A construction worker died after being crushed by the scoop of an excavator while he was building a wall in Koh Kong province on Tuesday, according to police.

The dead man, Cheam Kosal, 34, worked for the Tat Khun Kith Company, which was doing work for a local firm in Mondol Seima district’s Cham Yeam village, deputy police chief Chhi Chhai said.

“When I arrived at the construction site, we saw the victim’s body jammed against the wall with the excavator’s scoop pressing on it,” he said.

The driver, Koeun Bunthoeun, 31, was interrogated by police but allowed to return to work temporarily yesterday.

Authorities took this decision after the deceased’s employer, Sear Kheang, brother-in-law of a CPP senator, wrote to them saying there had been no attempt to kill the victim, according to deputy director of Koh Kong’s Provincial Serious Crimes Office, Lay Tiro.

“It is a work accident and not a murder case,” Tiro said. “So we decided to let him go back and work.”

He added that Sear Kheang took responsibility for compensating the victim’s family and for funeral expenses.